WWF-Canada Blog:Species

How Nepal got to zero poaching

Nepal, the small Himalayan country that likens itself to a yam caught between two stones with China to the north and India to the south, has been able to achieve 365 days without any rhinos, tigers or elephants poached. Twice. In 2011 and 2014.

In February 2015, Nepal will host the first symposium focused on getting to zero poaching. Delegates from more than 13 Asian countries representing conservation agencies, police and prosecution services will share best practices, tools and technologies that can be used to respond to the poaching crisis.

WWF takes a closer look at what Nepal can teach the world about how to get to zero poaching.

Conservation

Conservation of Nepal’s rich biodiversity has a prominent spot on the national agenda. Nepal now has 10 national parks, three wildlife reserves, and six conservation areas that covers more than 13,000 square miles—23 percent of the country. Nepal also shares the Terai Arc Landscape with India, one of the most biologically important areas on earth and is home to tigers, rhinos, and elephants.

Commitment

Nepal’s leadership has taken important steps to protect nature through bodies like the National Tiger Conservation Committee, chaired by the Prime Minister of Nepal. The Wildlife Crime Control Coordination Committee is led by the Minister of Forests and Soil Conservation with representatives from enforcement and security agencies such as Nepal Army and Nepal Police. The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, a body represented by enforcement agencies that could help control wildlife crime, now has 16 district cells that has improved enforcement in order to stop poaching and curb wildlife crime.

Communities

By 2008, the government of Nepal had handed over approximately one-third (28 percent) of the country’s forests to local communities to manage, which has helped to save forests and wildlife, and reduce poverty. Community-based anti-poaching units, originally set up to reduce the level of poaching of tigers and rhinos, have quickly become involved in monitoring trafficking of other wild flora and fauna. Today, there are more than 400 units working throughout the country, which patrol critical areas like wildlife corridors and are vital information sources on illegal activity.

WWF-Canada directly supports WWF-Nepal’s efforts to train and engage local communities in monitoring tiger populations the buffer regions of the Terai Arc Landscape. The first of its kind in Nepal, local communities are being empowered to monitor their natural resources by using the latest tiger and prey population monitoring techniques.

Cooperation

Wildlife crime knows no boundaries. Nepal is not only a “source” for high-value wildlife, it is also a known transit country for wildlife headed into China. The country is tackling transnational wildlife crime in various ways, including an MoU with China and resolution with India on biodiversity conservation and addressing illegal wildlife trade control, and regional mechanisms such as the South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network.

Innovation

Nepal has always sought to improve on both its success and failure. The country was an early adopter of technologies like unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to improve anti-poaching operations within protected areas. They have also embraced Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tools (SMART), a site-based approach used to monitor and improve the effectiveness of conservation management. Specially trained sniffer dogs are being deployed in national parks to assist the park staff and Nepal Army in antipoaching patrols.

Champions

Organizations like WWF have been at the forefront of efforts to engage young Nepalis. WWF spearheaded conservation education efforts like school-based Eco Clubs. Today, there are over 500 in the country with nearly 80,000 children who are becoming a force for nature within their own communities. Nepal has also been successful in inspiring new audiences to care about nature thanks to celebrities like Miss Nepal and movie star Rajesh Hamal.